Chapter Twenty-two
Tansy snuck past the old wreck in the back yard, careful not to step in the muck or trip on any of the crap lying around. She headed into the basement stairwell and waited, hoping her cousin had opened her text and would meet her there. An hour passed but she hung in, shivering with cold and need.
Eventually, she heard a noise and couldn’t hold back the sob of thankfulness. “Wendi. Is that you?”
“Yeah. What the fuck, Tansy. Why are you here?”
“You know why. I need more. I’m supplying two girls plus myself, and we’re out. You can’t leave us hanging. Those girls are dangerous.”
“Hey, I’m in the same boat, you stupid bitch. I don’t sell the shit either. I told you that. My supplier isn’t always available.”
“Then who else is selling? I have a-a pal who’s in bad shape. She’s threatening to go to the cops.”
“What? About the drugs?” The shock in Wendi’s voice showed her disbelief.
“Shit, no. We kind of paid back a troublemaker who ended up in the hospital last night. Guess we went a bit too far. Now this friend is blackmailing me.”
“Christ, girl. Nice friend. You just don’t know how to control your world, do you?” Wendi’s disgust rang clearly and made Tansy’s bad mood deteriorate further.
“Christ… don’t ride me. I get enough of that shit at home. My dad’s pissed and says if I get into any more trouble, he’s shipping me off to a school in Ohio. I couldn’t stand that. I need to shut the bitch up and the only way to do that is supply her with what she wants. Can you get me some cheap blow?”
“Yeah. I know a guy. Goes by the name of Zed. He’s a low life, so be careful. But he’ll supply you if got the cash.”
“Where can I find him?”
“You know the honky-tonk called Nudies on Broadway?”
“Yeah.”
“He used to play in a band there. On the weekends, he hangs out behind the joint and tries to sneak inside. They mostly kick him out but he’s usually in the alley behind. He’s gotten hooked up with a new distributer and can pretty much get what you need… but trust me, don’t take a chance using that crack yourself. It’s scary shit.”
“Whaddaya mean?”
“I know a few people that died after buying from him. Not sure where he gets his product, so beware. Now buzz. I have a meeting to show up for.”
“It’s one a.m. Who’s meeting you at this time of the night?”
“A man you’d give your inheritance for, baby. Lucifer’s prime meat and all mine.”
***
Luke kept watching the clock to see how much longer he had to perform before they would be finished with their final set. Christ, it had been a long night. Every time he thought about Honey in his bed, he broke out in a cold sweat.
He hated the fact that he’d promised to meet Wendi after his shift, but he couldn’t see any way past it. He needed her to give him the lowdown on what she knew about the drug scene she’d succumbed to.
According to Matt, she’d been able to afford the best at one time. Turns out, she’d been hooked up with a rich boyfriend who’d supported her back then… until he found out just how far she’d sunk. Then he’d kicked her sorry ass out of his world and dumped her.
Now alone and with her hungry habit to feed, she’d sunk pretty low. But she could be his ticket to solving this case, and he needed it over with as soon as possible. He’d touched base with his usual support guy earlier in the men’s room, and he’d learned that in two days fifty more fentanyl overdoses had been found in various places. And a ridiculous amount of other users were saved in time which means it’s getting widely distributed.
They’d begun putting warnings in the paper and online, urging users to be careful. They’d even posted that if folks had any inkling at all that the drugs they bought were bad, bring them to the nearest police station. So far, their response had been poor.
Luke spotted Wendi in the back of the crowd; her wild hair still messy but she’d managed to dress a little more upscale than the last time he’d seen her. Wearing cowboy boots, a jean skirt with rhinestones, and a bosom-showing shirt, she oozed with sexy welcoming vibes.
Finishing his last song, Country Girl Shake it for Me, that had the crowd bopping wildly to the beat, he gestured goodbye to Matt, Cissy, and Boney. Then he headed toward Wendi, took her hand, and led her from the place. No way did he want her crawling all over him in front of Linda and Jess.
If Honey heard about it, they’d be done before they got a chance to begin. And he couldn’t blame her.
“Where are you takin’ me, sweetheart?” The husky note in Wendi’s voice made him aware that she’d shot up recently.
“I’ve had enough of the music scene for tonight. Let’s go and get us a coffee and shoot the shit a bit. I want to learn about you.”
He headed across the street toward the huge food court that stayed open twenty-four hours a day and bought them coffees, hotdogs, and the donut she’d pointed to. Then he found a quiet place to sit. Wendi fidgeted as if she didn’t know what to think about this treatment.
“Something wrong?” He sensed her confusion.
“I don’t figure I’ve ever been on a date where a guy brought me to a food court before.” She bit into the hotdog and groaned. “God this tastes good. Not sure I ate today.”
Luke didn’t have to fake laughter at her way of stating what he expected was a fact. “Where do they take you? Your men friends.”
Wendi seemed to like his enjoyment of her confession and settled back against the leather-backed booth. “You want the truth?”
When he nodded, she took a sip of her coffee first and then admitted, “Usually hotel rooms.”
Luke heard the note of sadness she tried to cover with a shrug.
“Most guys are willing to treat me nice – you know, buy me booze, and even share their drugs as long as they get laid. And that’s fine with me. I’m a good-time gal.”
Though her words seemed sincere, her tone gave away the fear he’d seen in many of the girls who hung out on Broadway and lived the life Wendi just described. They were all about partying, helping guys have a blast when on vacation, but being left behind to pick up the pieces when it was over became stale fast.
Luke took another bite of his food, pushed away the spurt of compassion, and shoved his plate to the side. Then he leaned close to her so he could speak low. “Tell me about the product you’ve been using. It was bad tonight, trying to keep my shit together. If I could just get a small hit near the end of the night, I could last. I’d be better. Know what I mean?”
“Yeah. I know. But I don’t give out the name of my provider.”
“Got it. Just tell me if he’s just distributing the coke… or running a lab and cooking his own? I want the better stuff, yeah? I’m not interested in the black-market shit.”
“Of course. Look, Luke, I don’t want to sound like a jerk, but it’s not cheap anymore. They’re asking top dollar for the superior product.”
Pretending to be a rookie, he asked, “Does that mean they have to pay to get it shipped?” He watched her reaction closely.
“Nah. It’s here, in the Gulch where no one would expect to find it.”
“Christ. That’s rich. Years ago, that place had such a bad rep that the city spent millions fixing it only to have it become home to a dope ring. What’s the odds?” He pretended enjoyment at the news but inside he hated the idea that slime had penetrated so deep.
“Yeah. Know what you mean. I wished I could still get their stuff. It was good, gave one a trip in the clouds. But can’t afford it now.” She turned to him. “But baby, you can.”
“Hey. I’d like to but my ex’s draining me dry. I had to sell off most of what I own. Bitch would take my guitar and boots if she could.” He sneered his dislike of being put in such a position and hoped he’d played his part enough for her to believe it.
Seeming to understand, Wendi put her hand on his arm and leaned in to kiss him, her sympathy palpable.
He turned his head in time for her lips to land on his cheek, and then he cuddled her close as if he hadn’t meant to escape from having to kiss her for real. “Aww, baby. You’re a sweetheart. I don’t deserve a friend like you.”
He felt her shudder and realized she’d begun to cry. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
Slapping at her tears as if ashamed to show real emotions, Wendi pulled out an old rolled-up tissue from her grimy purse and used it to clear away the tears. “I guess I hoped you’d be willing to have one last party with me. It would be sweet to have that high again.”
“You know someone? I mean who makes the premier booty?”
“Yeah, my old boyfriend works at the place. He’d sell to me.”
“Okay then. I’ll make you a deal. You take me to the bastard, and I’ll buy a small bag. But it’s a one-time shot, right? After that, we go strictly budget baby.”
In a short while, Wendi left him in the truck while she headed to a darkened doorway on the outskirts of a large, abandoned-looking factory just within the boundaries of the area they called the Gulch. While she was gone, Luke took a lot of pictures detailing the surroundings and pretended he was reading a text when she returned.
“Got it. Jay was pissed that I came to the place rather than hit up Joey on the corner, but I convinced him all was fine. I pretended I was alone. So, let’s go.”
Not willing to bring her to his place, Luke rented a motel room on the outskirts of town, a sleazy dump where he hoped to go unrecognized. As soon as they hit the room, Wendi had the bag in the bathroom and was setting up her shooting paraphernalia to get a hit.
He watched her trembling with the excitement of the coming euphoria, and his stomach dropped the way it always did when he saw how need controlled sanity.
Strong personalities showed such weakness when faced with the coming pleasure, it never failed to amaze. Thank God, he’d never taken to using himself.
“Come. You can go first. You paid for the shit.”
Luke grinned in the way that always got him off the hook with women. “No baby, you need it. I’ll get mine.” He watched her sail off into the unknown after she’d injected herself and knew he’d become nothing to her. She neither saw him nor cared if he followed her or not.
When her phone broke the silence, he picked it up… curious.
But the message he read had him springing up and out the door. Hey cuz, that shit you told me to buy from Zed just killed my friend Val. You have to help me.
On his way to his truck, using Wendi’s phone, he typed in the answer… where are you?